Aereo Says It Intends To Operate In Wake Of Court Ruling

Aereo
CEO and founder Kanojia speaks at Internet Week in New
YorkThomson
Reuters

(Reuters) - Aereo, the video streaming service that sought to
provide an alternative to traditional television broadcasters,
said it believes it can still operate despite a crippling U.S.
Supreme Court ruling that caused the company to suspend service,
according to a court filing on Wednesday.

The Supreme Court last month said Aereo violated copyright law by
using tiny antennas to broadcast TV content online to paying
subscribers.

The decision was a victory for traditional broadcasters, such as
CBS Corp, Comcast Corp's NBC, Walt Disney Co's ABC, and
Twenty-First Century Fox Inc's Fox.

After the ruling, Aereo announced that it was suspending service,
and litigation in a related case involving the company resumed in
a Manhattan federal court.

CBS argued in a joint filing on Wednesday that the case should be
dismissed in light of the Supreme Court ruling, but Aereo
disagreed.

"Although Aereo has temporarily suspended operations, Aereo
believes that it can still operate in accordance with the terms
of the Supreme Court's decision and intends to do so," Aereo
wrote in the filing.

It is unclear from the filing how Aereo will operate, though the
company argued it was entitled to a "compulsory license" to
broadcasters' content.

Representatives for Aereo and CBS did not immediately respond to
a request for comment.

Started in 2012 and backed by Diller's IAC/InterActiveCorp, Aereo
typically charged about $8 to $12 a month, and allowed users
stream live broadcasts on mobile devices. Aereo did not pay the
broadcasters.

The case in U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York is
Aereo Inc vs. CBS Broadcasting Inc et al., 13-3013.